The Initial Link
The Initial Link is a concept I discuss often. Initial meaning 'first' and 'link' relating to chain links. You could call it the 'first step' if you so wished. The chain iconography comes from the second last line of the Sith Code; "through victory, my chains are broken". The Sith Code in itself is a mantra depicting a way of life leading to power and freedom.
But to take that first step towards touching on our passion and inner darkness requires a good deal of resolve, even for a moment. It's a struggle against the inner restraints that chain us down to the cultural orthodox. Breaking the initial link in the proverbial chains is the first step you'll take, but by far the most important.
This is a concept open to anyone who ever has to face the choice to actively defy social and cultural rules and boundaries, whether it be for an avenue of study, career decision or lifestyle choice.
It can be a hard choice to make, but it takes real strength of will to hold to it. Conviction is a great strength to have, and one you'll need, because any path off the often-walked road will present a constant test of your resolve. But it is worth it, to stand apart from the rest, knowing that you're your own person, an individual amongst so many two-dimensional characters.
There are those who are not prepared to break the initial link, or suffer any of the consequences of embracing passion or darkness. Others cannot even recognize their chains. I don't know what is worse; the blind who cannot see their chains, or the weak, too scared to break them.
For all our talk of 'darkness' and 'passion', some people cannot handle social rejection or negative attention. The inability to break the Initial Link is a sign that the individual is not yet ready to truly embrace anything. Instead they'll remain in a personal purgatory, torn between fear of being made a pariah, and following their passion. These souls never truly belong anywhere until they steel their resolve, or successfully and permanently dumb themselves back down.
For some, a hard choice. For others, an easy one.
"I think back to when I first studied the path and took my first true step or look at my first true link. It was at a cultural ideal that while people are aware about, isn't always easily accepted. And I had to make a choice, to embrace the link and accept it as a part of my life; or ignore it and be chained down." ~ Phoenix, Instructor at the Institute for Jedi Realist Studies
"That's good. You have taken your first step into a larger world." ~ Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars
- [William Kaede